D.C. Appeals Court Rejects Meta’s Bid to Block Discovery in Youth Social Media Harm Lawsuit

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals has denied Meta’s request to block disclosure of internal communications related to research on the well-being of young social media users, allowing discovery to continue in a consumer-protection lawsuit brought by the District of Columbia.

The lawsuit alleges Meta violated the District of Columbia’s Consumer Protection Procedures Act by misleading consumers about the safety of its social media platforms for children while developing features designed to increase user engagement among young people. According to the appellate court, Meta sought a writ of mandamus asking the court to overturn trial court orders requiring the company to produce four internal communications that the company claimed were protected by attorney-client privilege.

In a unanimous opinion, the appellate court concluded that Meta failed to meet the high legal standard required for such extraordinary relief. Writing for the three-judge panel, Court of Appeals Judge Roy W. McLeese III stated, “We do not see an adequate basis for mandamus relief.” The court further found that the record did not “clearly and indisputably foreclose the conclusions that there was probable cause to believe” Meta used legal advice to modify or conceal research concerning potential harms to teenage users, conduct that the District alleges furthered violations of its consumer protection law.

The court emphasized that it was not deciding whether the crime-fraud exception ultimately applies or whether Meta is liable for the underlying allegations. Instead, the judges concluded only that Meta had not shown that the trial court’s decision was “clearly and indisputably incorrect,” the standard required to overturn the discovery orders by writ of mandamus.

According to the appellate opinion, Meta has already produced more than 2.5 million documents during discovery in the District of Columbia case, with many of those documents having already been produced in the nationwide Social Media Adolescent Addiction Personal Injury Litigation (MDL No. 3047) pending in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Levin Papantonio’s Leadership in Social Media Litigation

Levin Papantonio is actively involved in pursuing justice for families affected by social media addiction and related harms.

Attorney Emmie Paulos has served on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee for the Social Media Adolescent Addiction Personal Injury Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 3047, since 2022, positioning the firm at the forefront of the national effort to hold technology companies accountable.

These recent settlements and verdicts send a clear message. Juries and courts are paying closer attention to the real effects of social media platform design, and technology companies may face more legal trouble if they do not adequately protect young users.

If your child has suffered mental health problems related to social media use, you may have legal options.

Learn more about ongoing social media harm litigation and your rights: https://levinlaw.com/social-media-harm-lawsuits/

Sources: Law360